Settle in with a cup of coffee or hot cider and give our roundup of restaurants and exhibitions to look forward to a read. (Photo by B. Krist for GPTMC)

If you’re hunkered down indoors today riding out Hurricane Sandy, we’ve got a roundup for you to help pass the time.

We pulled together our top picks for the most exciting exhibitions and restaurant openings coming down in the pipeline in Philadelphia. Lots to look forward to!

Check it out, and let us know in the comments which one you’re anticipating most.

Upcoming Exhibitions

• Dancing Around The Bride at the Philadelphia Museum of Art: This brand new exhibition on display at the Philadelphia Museum of Art from October 30 to January 21 delves into postwar avant-garde art through the work and collaboration of artist greats Marcel Duchamp, Jasper Johns, Robert Rauschenberg, composer John Cage and choreographer Merce Cunningham. The exhibition will include more than 80 objects, stage sets, musical compositions and live dance and music performances.

• Titanic: The Artifact Exhibition at the Franklin Institute: Titanic sails into the Franklin Institute November 10, showcasing more than 300 legendary artifacts conserved from the ship’s debris field, offering visitors a poignant look at this iconic ship and its passengers. For a 2012 spin, the exhibit will also showcase the ongoing research and recovery expeditions taking place on the Titanic wreck site, with dramatic high-def multimedia.

• The Female Gaze: Women Artists Making Their World at PAFA: From November 17-April 7, the Fisher Brooks and Annenberg Galleries at PAFA will be host to 160 made-by-women works arranged thematically, including sections on self-portraiture, spiritual reactions to nature, politics, sexuality, family and a wide range of land- and cityscapes. After its debut showing, the collection will go on tour to a wide range of venues throughout the United States.

• Pop-Up! Illustration in 3-D at the Brandywine River Museum: From November 23-January 6, explore the magic of pop-up books at the Brandywine River Museum with a special exhibition that presents a selection ranging from late 19th century examples to the sophisticated constructions designed by contemporary paper engineers.

• Big Bugs at Morris Arboretum: On April 1, 2013, visitors to the Morris Arboretum may think nature is playing an April Fool’s joke on them as Big Bugs spring to life all over the 92-acre garden. Created byLong Island sculptor David Rogers, the immense garden sculptures are made from roots, vines, bark and fallen trees. There will be 11 in total, on display through August 31, 2013, including a 16-foot 1,200 pound praying mantis and a parade of 25-foot long ants.

• Mural Arts and Studio Orta: Over the next year, Mural Arts will collaborate with artists Lucy and Jorge Orta to stage the largest version yet of “70×7 The Meal,” an ongoing series of visual and performance art pieces staged throughout the world that gather people around a communal table to engage in dialogue around a chosen theme. Working in partnership with the Food Trust and Farm to City, the Meal staged here in Philadelphia will focus on food equity and sustainability. The artists, based in France, will make several visits to Philadelphia between now and fall 2013 to lead a community engagement process. On an early October evening in 2013, 2,000 people will gather in a public space to bring the work to life.

We’ve got intel on restaurant openings to look forward to, below.

Restaurant Openings

• Jose Garces’ Volver at the Kimmel Center: Already on board as the caterer for the Kimmel Center’s family of properties, Garces Restaurant Group will also be opening a street-level restaurant called Volver at the Kimmel Center with a projected opening date of spring 2013.

• Serpico: Fresh off the opening of Fette Sau in Fishtown, a partnership between Stephen Starr and Brooklyn barbecue maven Joe Caroll — Starr is bringing Peter Serpico, the former chef of Momofuku Ko and David Chang’s culinary director, to Philadelphia to open his own restaurant, Serpico. According to the Inquirer, the restaurant is going into the former Foot Locker at 604 South Street and will have “a similar vibe to Momofuku’s edgy-yet-sophisticated aesthetic.”

• Crumbs Bake Shop: At long last, the cult favorite cupcakery will be coming to Philadelphia, with an outpost in Rittenhouse Square in the former Leehe Fai location set to open later this year. The long-in-the-works deal finally got zoning approval this past July, and thank goodness — what would we do without those Blackbottom Cheesecake Brownie cupcakes?

• Spread Bake Shop: Rittenhouse Square’s super popular Spread Bagelry is expanding to take over the former Brown Betty spot across the street with Spread Bake Shop, specializing in muffins, biscotti, scones and pies. The Best of Philly bagel winner is sure to deliver on the baked good front.

• Joe Coffee Shop: NYC favorite Joe is opening two Philadelphia locations, according to Eater, one at 1845 Walnut Street due for early next year, and another on Drexel University’s campus later in 2013.

Bonus:

• Diner en Blanc Philadelphia: 2013: No date or location has been announced, but Co-Chair Natanya DiBona has confirmed that Diner en Blanc will definitely be returning for 2013. Stay tuned for more information!

• Stratus Lounge fire wall: The Hotel Monaco’s super chic rooftop lounge Stratus has a 30-foot fire wall to keep guests seated in the outdoor section of the rooftop lounge warm. It hasn’t been fully installed yet, but definitely will be by the time late fall/winter rolls around. It’s going to be awesome.